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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. file — a document
  3. march — music
  4. march — the month
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. ball — a great time
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. march — the month
  11. last — final
  12. file — a line of people
  13. club — a group
  14. ball — a dance
  15. chair — a leader
  16. perch — the fish
  17. last — finally
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — for golf
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. file — a tool
  24. perch — for a bird

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com